EXAMPLE LEVEL 1A MCT QUESTIONS &

ALIGNMENT TO LCS FRAMEWORK

1A LEVEL DESCRIPTOR (LEAN AWARENESS KNOWLEDGE)

A1 Origins and evolution of lean thinking (eg Toyota, Ford, Deming, TWI, etc).
A2 Underpinning and related concepts (eg PDCA, scientific method, continuous improvement, systems thinking,
etc)
A3 Key lean principles (eg Womack & Jones, Spear & Bowen etc); value, value stream, flow, pull, perfection
A4 Wastes (identification, categorisation etc); value adding, necessary non-value adding and non-value adding
activities; value demand/failure demand
A5 Awareness of the human and strategic dimensions of lean thinking (eg change, engagement, policy
deployment, etc)

QUESTION INSTRUCTIONS

Each question should have clear instructions (eg ‘select one answer only’, ‘write an answer for each number’,
‘circle the correct answer(s)’, etc) and indicate the number of marks for each question, including any partial
marking (if applicable) and time allowance.

EXAMPLE QUESTIONS

The right hand column indicates the LCS 1a level descriptor to which the question relates. Once the test has
been finalised, the number of question linked to each can be totalled to indicate question spread (see table at
end of document).
Correct answers are highlighted in yellow.
# Questions Answer Options LCS 1a
Alignment
1 Lean thinking’s fifth principle a) The quality or condition of being perfect A3
(Womack & Jones) is concerned
b) The endless pursuit for perfection
with which of the following?
c) The act or process of perfect
d) The state of being without a flaw or defect
e) The act of making something perfect
2 What are the ‘seven wastes’ of a) Transport A4
the Toyota Production System?
b) Inventory
(to be listed)
c) Motion

Page 1 of 8
EXAMPLE LEVEL 1A MCT QUESTIONS & ALIGNMENT TO LCS FRAMEWORK

# Questions Answer Options LCS 1a

Alignment
d) Waiting
3 marks if all correct e) Overproduction
2 if six correct f) Over processing
1 if five correct g) Defects
3 A value stream shows all a) Consumption A3
activities from order to what?
b) Production
c) Delivery
d) Customer service
e) Storage
4 What is the correct order of a) Pursue Perfection (5) A3
Womack & Jones’ lean
b) Create Flow (3)
principles?
c) Identify the Value Stream (2)
d) Specify Customer Value (1)
Place a number between 1 – 5
against each principle e) Create Pull (4)

5 PDCA is a systematic problem a) Measure improvement. (C) A2

solving process. Match the
b) Implement as standard.(A)
letter with the action.
c) Identify root cause. (P)
d) Trial solution. (D)
Place one of the letters P D C A
next to each action
6 Necessary Non-Value Adding is a) Important in delivering value to customers. A3, A4
a term used to describe an
b) Part of the operation’s support function.
activity that is what?
c) Required by current state but Is difficult to
remove today.
d) Ready for immediate removal.
7 Fill in the missing word for Rule a) Sorted A2, A3
One of Spear & Bowen’s DNA
b) Specified
of the Toyota Production
System: “All work shall be c) Standardised
highly xxxx as to content, d) Synchronised
sequence, timing and
outcome.”

8 A successful lean a) Reduce headcount A2,A3

implementation should

Page 2 of 8
EXAMPLE LEVEL 1A MCT QUESTIONS & ALIGNMENT TO LCS FRAMEWORK

# Questions Answer Options LCS 1a

primarily achieve which one of
the following?
Alignment
b) Improve profitability
c) Release capacity
d) Increase stock value

9 Lean is said to be about f) Waste A3

reducing Muda, Mura and
g) Overburden
Muri. Which one of the
following is not a translation of h) Unevenness
one of these? i) Overstocking

10 A ‘contingent’ approach to lean a) You adopt a prescriptive approach to lean A2

thinking implies what? implementation
b) You adapt your implementation approach
depending on your particular circumstances
c) You do not make details plans but implement in
an organic way
d) You focus on using the classic tools of the Toyota
Production System
11 Womack has an abbreviated a) Planet A3
definition of lean, which is
b) Policy
‘Lean = purpose + process +
what’? c) People
d) Practice

12 Policy deployment primarily a) The control of workers actions and performance A5

aims to achieve which of the
b) Ensuring business targets are met
following?
c) Alignment of actions with strategic objectives
d) To formulate an effective strategy.

13 Complete this quote by Henry a) Standardised A1

Ford: “every process should be
b) Innovative
regarded as what”.
c) Experimental
d) Experiential

14 According to Spear & Bowen, a) Scientific management A3

any improvement must be
b) Simplified communications
made in accordance with what,
under the guidance of a c) Standard operations

Page 3 of 8
EXAMPLE LEVEL 1A MCT QUESTIONS & ALIGNMENT TO LCS FRAMEWORK

# Questions Answer Options LCS 1a

Alignment
teacher, at the lowest possible d) Scientific method
level in the organization?

15 What is Takt time? a) The time it takes to make a standard product A3

16 Policy deployment primarily
aims to achieve which of the
following?
b) The rate that components need to be supplied to
the production line
c) The synchronisation of operations to customer
demand
d) The time of equipment changeover
a) The control of workers actions and performance A5
b) Ensuring business targets are met
c) Alignment of actions with strategic objectives
d) To formulate an effective strategy.

17 The Pareto principle is often a) The 80:20 rule A2

referred to as what?
18 Complete the quote by W
Edwards Deming:
“In God we trust. All others
must bring xxxx”
19 In lean thinking terms
perfection is which one of the
following
b) The 95:5 rule
c) The law of the vital many
d) The principle of factor disparity
a) Solutions A1
b) Plans
c) Data
d) Methods
a) The endless pursuit to be perfect. A3
b) The quality or condition of being perfect.
c) The act or process of perfect.
d) The state of being without a flaw or defect.
e) The act of making something perfect.

20 A value stream shows all a) Consumption A3

activities from order to what?
b) Production
c) Delivery
d) Customer service
e) Storage
21 The opposite of Single Piece a) A chaotic system A3
Flow is

Page 4 of 8
EXAMPLE LEVEL 1A MCT QUESTIONS & ALIGNMENT TO LCS FRAMEWORK

# Questions Answer Options LCS 1a

Alignment
b) Multiple piece flow
c) Batch and queue production
d) Shared services
22 Which is considered the worst a) Transport A4
of Taiichi Ohno’s seven wastes?
b) Inventory
c) Motion
d) Waiting
e) Overproduction
f) Over processing
g) Defects
23 From whose perspective should a) Stakeholders A3
value be identified in a lean
b) Customers
organisation?
c) Suppliers
d) Shareholders
24 Who in a company should own a) Management A5
standard processes?
b) Engineering
c) Front line employees
d) Quality control
25 In a service environment, pull a) TAKT time A3
should be based on what?
b) Kanban
c) Real customer demand
d) Service delivery capacity
26 To where should the lean j) The warehouse A2
practitioner go in order to learn
k) The gemba
and discover the facts about
work? l) The gamba
m) The supply chain
27 In Spear & Bowen’s four rules a) Standardised processes A2
of the Toyota DNA, any
b) Reference to customer value
improvement must be made in
accordance with what? c) The scientific method
d) Company strategy
28 In a lean process, you should a) Want to stock A3
only do what the customer
b) Want to take delivery of
will...
c) Want to pay for

Page 5 of 8
EXAMPLE LEVEL 1A MCT QUESTIONS & ALIGNMENT TO LCS FRAMEWORK

# Questions Answer Options LCS 1a

Alignment
d) Want to consume
29 Emiliani has stated that ‘real a) Focus on the customer A5
lean’ is a combination of
b) Respect for people
continuous improvement plus
what? c) Respect for the process
d) Effective problem solving
30 The amount of time taken to a) Cycle time A3
complete an operation is called
b) Takt time
what?
c) Lead time
d) Just in time
31 Which industrialist is said to a) Jack Welch A1
have inspired the creation of
b) W Edwards Deming
the Toyota Production System?
c) Henry Ford
d) Karl Benz
32 What is the acronym used to a) TOD WOLD A4
remember the classic seven
b) TED WARD
wastes?
c) TIM WOOD
d) TOM WENT
33 In services, what is the term a) Non added value demand A3
used to describe the demand
b) Failure demand
that arises due to a previous
fault in operations or service? c) Customer complaints demand
d) System breakdown demand
34 Womack has an abbreviated a) Planet A3, A5
definition of lean, which is ‘lean
b) Policy
= purpose + process + what’?
c) People
d) Practice
e) Patience
35 What term describes the a) Total Quality Management A1
techniques developed in World
b) Training Within Industry
War II to improve aircraft
production that are said to c) Toyota Production System
form the foundation of lean d) Industrial Engineering
thinking?
36 Which of these is not one of a) Waste of inappropriate systems A4
Bicheno’s ‘new service wastes’?
b) Waste of lack of concentration
c) Waste of untapped human potential

Page 6 of 8
EXAMPLE LEVEL 1A MCT QUESTIONS & ALIGNMENT TO LCS FRAMEWORK
# Questions
37 Functionalising processes will
most likely result in what?
38 The biggest impact on
improved flow can be achieved
through which one of the
following?
39 TAKT time is which one of the
following?
40 In which book was the word
‘lean’ first used?
41 Which two of the following
does value stream mapping aim
to depict?
42 Which one of the following
phrases best summarises the
approach underpinning
standardisation?
43 Which World War Two
operations and training system
is said to have inspired Toyota?
44 What does PDCA stand for?
Answer Options LCS 1a
Alignment
d) Waste of excessive information & communication
a) Reduced lead times A4
b) Improved quality
c) Batching of work
d) Improved efficiencies
a) The use of larger batches A3
b) The reduction in the space used in the process
c) A reduction in inventory held
d) The use of smaller batches
a) The rate that stock is replenished A3
b) The time it takes to complete one cycle
c) The speed that the customer pulls
d) The rate at which an operator works
a) The Machine that Changed the World A1
b) Lean Thinking
c) Lean Solutions
d) The Toyota Way
a) People flow A3
b) Material flow
c) Information flow
d) Stock flow
a) Keeping organised A3
b) A place for everything, everything in its place
c) One best way
d) Control through discipline
a) Business Process Reengineering A1
b) Total Quality Management
c) Six Sigma
d) Training Within Industry
a) Plan A2
b) Do
c) Check
d) Act
Page 7 of 8
EXAMPLE LEVEL 1A MCT QUESTIONS & ALIGNMENT TO LCS FRAMEWORK

LEARNING OUTCOMES COVERAGE CHECK

Number of questions addressing each area

A1 6
A2 8
A3 23
A4 6
A5 5

Page 8 of 8